Thread: Protesters Gather At Pittsburgh Mayor's Office, But He's Not

Protesters Gather At Pittsburgh Mayor's Office, But He's Not There

200 Service Union Workers Gather Downtown, Want To Talk With Ravenstahl

POSTED: 8:58 am EDT July 24, 2009
UPDATED: 6:42 pm EDT July 24, 2009

PITTSBURGH -- A group of about 200 protesters from labor unions went to Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's office on Friday, demanding higher pay for city construction projects.



SEIU Western Pennsylvania director Gabe Morgan addresses hundreds of protesters gathered at the Pittsburgh mayor's office.

It was originally reported the protesters chained Ravenstahl out of his office. However Channel 4 Action News' Bob Mayo reports that it was a city employee who chained the door from the inside for a time to keep the protesters out, and Ravenstahl was never present.

"They felt like that they had to chain the doors to protect the mayor. We obviously are not physically threatening the mayor in any way, shape or form. All we want him to do is change his policy to start building middle-class jobs in this city," said SEIU Western Pennsylvania director Gabe Morgan while addressing the assembled protestors.

Slideshow: See Pictures From The Scene
Read Bob Mayo's Twitter Postings About Protest

A Channel 4 Action News crew at the scene reported the group of "very rowdy" protesters showed up at the City-County building on Grant Street around 8 a.m.

Employees from the National Union of Operating Engineers, Workers United, United Food and Commercial Workers and the Service Employees International Union participated in the protest.

Joanna Doven, a spokeswoman for Ravenstahl, said the mayor was out of the office on Friday.

"He's not going to meet with them today," said Yarone Zober, Ravenstahl's chief of staff. "He has met with them several times over. I don't know that the issues are going to go away. Actually, I don't know where he is at this moment."

According to a news release from the SEIU, the sit-in aimed to get the mayor to "address the shortcomings in job creation in the current economic development policy."

"We're not expecting to become hundred-thousandaires off of these jobs, but there's no reason why we should have to suffer and struggle to put a meal on the table, clothes on our children's back and a roof over our head," one protester said.

The group wants Ravenstahl to attach wage standards to development subsidies. They said many newly created jobs pay so poorly that workers can't support their families.

"That wouldn't really benefit the city or the region as a whole," Zober said of the protesters' demands. "The big thing here, when you talk about what's going on outside, is whether the city would be at a competitive disadvantage if we adopt some of their approaches."

"Every dollar that's created in taxes -- you know, from developments like those on the North Shore -- are community benefits. Those go directly into worker training programs, into keeping our streets safe and clean," Zober said.

The protesters left the building around 9 a.m. but returned in the afternoon and were heard by some City Council members who opened the council chambers' doors to the group.

"What needs to be built in Pittsburgh is a middle class," Morgan said.

"We have to change the city," said Anthony Michael Helfer, of the UFCW. "They turn around and build these buildings and give the corporations a major break, but then when it comes to putting people to work, the jobs are at the bottom of the barrel. That has to change and we're here to try to change it."

"You say you understand us and you feel where we're coming from and want to help us, but actions speak louder than words and we haven't seen any action," said a protester from Workers United.


Council President Doug Shields promised some public meetings to address the concerns of the labor organizations.

"What we're seeing today is certain hotel developments, for example, are deciding not to come to Pittsburgh because of this sort of activity. I think it's really sad," Zober said.

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/new ... tail.html#

And just what workers are the SEIU really making demands on behalf of?

American citizens who are the ONLY ones who should rightly hold the jobs or illegal aliens?

I'm sorry, but given the history and track records of the unions involved in this, I can't help but wonder if the white and black American workers prominent at the protest are just being used as window dressing.

"

They felt like that they had to chain the doors to protect the mayor. We obviously are not physically threatening the mayor in any way, shape or form. All we want him to do is change his policy to start building middle-class jobs in this city," said SEIU Western Pennsylvania director Gabe Morgan while addressing the assembled protestors.

And by "middle-class jobs" they likely mean at least the same types of wages, benefits, and perks that the UAW demanded for years and left US auto companies bankrupt or almost so. They mean "upper middle class jobs that would allow an upper middle class lifestyle, even for one wage earner families".

What level of skills are these construction jobs? Do the jobs require special education or training? Did these workers have to invest some of their own money in education programs so they could qualify for these jobs? Somewhat rhetorical questions, I think I know the answers.